Every Guthrie Bowron store is staffed by decorating specialists. Come in-store or book a homecall and we’ll be more than happy to help. We can walk you through the steps in a project, show you our huge range of products, and help you put them together to create the perfect look for your home.

What Kind Of Look Do You Want?

Before you decorate, decide what you want to achieve. The easiest way to start might be to find an existing look that you like. When you’ve found some inspiration, let us help you create a look you’ll love.

Working With Colour

When choosing colours remember that the actual colour you'll see in your home is determined by many different factors, such as the surface and the available light. Colours are closest to their true appearance in outside daylight, or in light from a window that does not face the sun. The best way to decide on the colour is to take a sample and see it in situ, and you'll get a better impression of just how it works in your space.

Colour Theory

Primary Colours

The three “primary colours” on the spectrum are red, yellow and blue. When you mix two of these colours together you create “secondary colours”. These are orange, green and violet. When you mix a primary colour with its adjacent secondary colour you create a ”tertiary colour”, classed as third in order.

Warm Colours

Warm colours are red, orange and yellow. They are the colours of fire and sun. Warm colours tend to come toward you or feel closer to you, and make a room feel cosy.

Cool Colours

Cool colours are blue, indigo and greens. They are the colours of water, ice, pastures and sea. Cool colours tend to go away from you or recede, and open a room up, making it feel bigger.

Complementary Colours

Achieve a balance between ‘warm’ and ‘cool’ when creating a colour scheme. Complementary colours are opposite each other on the colour wheel. The same two colours that are opposite each other, when put side by side, contrast with each other. Complementary colours when mixed together produce a neutral or grey colour.

Remember…

• dark colours have more upkeep.
• dark colours are not recommended on plaster or large areas of timber as they absorb heat and break down the surface.
• dark colours are best limited to features or highlights.
• colours always look lighter on the exterior when painted, especially on plaster walls.
• It is often best to select a colour one or two shades darker than you want, in the daylight it will appear lighter.
• paint out unattractive areas such as downpipes; match them to the corresponding wall colour.
• very light or bright colours can be overwhelming in the sunlight.